Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-09
OUR SACRAMEN 70 LETTER.
What II Going on i'm the Lcshs-
aative Halls OF the Seate.
SACRAMENTO, January I, 1887.


| The sensation of the hour is the in
auguration which did not take place.
Indignation is strongly manifested on all
sides at the action of the Republican
pai ty in securing delay in the progress
of the State administration at the ex-
pense not only of thousands of dollars,
but also Of the several thousand Of visit
ors who had asse embled here to witness
the ceremony; and all this for a petty
technicality.
The constitution says that each county
clerk shall send in to the speaker of the
assembly the election returns for Cover
nor and Lieutenant Governor shall also
give the same to the Assemblymau from
his district; and yet again shall forward
a third abstract to the Secretary OF State.
The whole process is bungling, to say
| the least. 1t is one of those red tape
excrescences which crept into the new
constitutional several places. OF course
each of the three abstracts were intend
ed to provide against accident to the
other two. But this is not quite clear
| in the constitution. The article needs a
little of the calm light of Supreme
Court decision thrown spon it. Yet it
was enough yesterday to give the Re.
publicans an opportunity to spoil Gov
ernor Bartletl's inaugural ceremonies,
and retard the election of United
States Senator.
Speaker Jordan, who made the de-
cision, is brother-in-l law of Vrooman.
Now the Alameds Senator has an idea
that if the Democrats should have
serious split on the Hearst question, he
could slip into the United States Seaa-
torship with solid Republican backing
and leave Sacramento for Washington.
Speaker Jordan had the returns in his
poss sssion for several days. He surely
must have been aware that the San
Benito and San Mateo returns were
missing. He could have notified the
clerks by telegraph the first of the week.
1t was his duty to know whether the re-
turns were all there before he proceeded
to o count. He had no right to call the
members together unless he intended TO
declare the returns. 1t was an inten-
tiopal and willful retardiug of State
business, an insult to the people, and
an unkindness to the Governor.
Every day of delay that the Republi.
cans can secure is precious to them.
The air of Sacramento is corrupting in
itself, and no one knows that better
than senator Vrooman. He is well
aware that the average Assemblyman
changes his politics and religion dozen
times under the unhealthy moral atmos-
phere of the place. 1t is this nail that
he hangs his hopes upon. He imagines
that another week without Senatorial
election will cause Hearst's following to
fall away and be attracted to man who
shall divide the Democratic party.
Senator Clunie fought vigorously TO
prevent the delay. The speech that he
made in the convention was SO stirring
and penetrating in its sarcasm that it
even pierced the thick sensibilities of
Vrooman, and the latter rose with a
flush upon his face to hurl threats and
insults at the Democratic Senator.
CluLie kept his temper we'll; and al
though Stephen NJ. White was wrought
up with anger at Vrooman's methods. he
succeeded in controlling the Democratic
forces and welding them nationally in
defense Of right and the dignity of the
State.